The problem with coolness: It comes with a price tag. Hipsters may look like they shop thrift stores. But wander into that shabby-chic boutique on Mississippi, and you'll discover that the latest locally hand-sewn anti-fashion costs a pretty penny.

Likewise, Northeast Alberta was once the domain of cheap tacos, down-and-out artists' studios and low-rent galleries. But today, the art has gotten pricey, and the taco stands are flanked by shops selling precious children's clothes and couture teas.

From its clean-lined interior to its vintage bathtub full of bubbly, the design of Cork: A Bottle Shop might lead one to assume that the goods inside are out of one's price range. There's inevitably something grooving on the stereo, and every bottle is reverently displayed on reclaimed-wood shelving as though it were a piece of hand-fired pottery.

But outside, colorful murals adorn the side of the building. And a sandwich-board sign on the sidewalk signals something else: "100 wines under $20."

And so we took our Bargain Bag to Cork this month to find out how to work the wine geek, alterno-chic and on-the-cheap angles -- all at the same time.

Like the sign says, the inventory inside is surprisingly low budget: The two front rows of wines as you walk in are devoted to bottles in the $10 range; as you walk deeper, the selection goes up to around $20. Those with more cash are relegated to the periphery. The west side is devoted to Northwest wines, including the two house brands: Viola, and the Alberta label, which benefits local nonprofits. Finer selections from Europe populate the east end.

But there are some tricks to navigating this space. For example:

If you see a wine that interests you, pounce, because the inventory is constantly rotating.

Habitués are rewarded for their dedication. Those who bite the bullet and buy a "Cork Club" membership ($100 per couple) enjoy free tastings (typical fee: $10), 10 percent or more off everything and invitations to members-only events, like a recent Bastille Day rosé tasting.

Then there are the weekly e-announcements of online speed sales. No matter how large your order, you get the case-discount price on the featured wines until they're gone; the picks are always geeky and generally less than $20. (A recent e-offering included an Italian vermouthlike beverage called cardamaro, the Italian red teroldego, a Corsican white and a Mencia from northwest Spain, all priced between $13 and $20.) A particularly hot commodity via email is the custom boxed wine, says owner Darryl Joannides: "I'll buy a barrel from John Grochau (of Portland's Grochau Cellars), box it up, and sell out in an hour."

Cool in more ways than one, the shop is kept at a chilly 62 degrees for optimum freshness -- not only of the wines, but also the extras: Olympic Provisions salumi, beer, cider and artisan chocolate. You can buy extra-virgin olive oil and syrupy 6-year-aged balsamico, the real deal, in bulk (refill your 375-ml bottle for $1 off).

If the prices aren't intimidating here, the cork-dork factor might be. Joannides delights in the obscure, traveling to Europe frequently to seek out unknown labels to carry in his shop. Each bottle gets its own neatly printed description card, which is tinted a cool slate green if the vineyard in question is known for its sustainable vineyard practices. All of which is to say, this isn't a store for the vinous equivalent of a couch potato.

"My customers are more likely to ask for a picpoul and a Muscadet than a chardonnay and a sauvignon blanc," Joannides says. So if you don't dig Basque "sagardo" (cider), you might be forgiven for not realizing what a great deal the Isastegi is at 12 bucks a bottle. For more off-the-radar deals like this, read on for the best from this month's bargain bag.

2010 Fuente Seca Utiel-Requena Spain Macabeo-Sauvignon Blanc ($9.50): Are you ready for the wines of Utiel-Requena? This up-and-coming chunk of eastern Spain is notable for its attachment to the indigenous syrupy red grape bobal. But this bottling of mostly macabeo -- the second-most important white grape in a region where 94 percent of plantings are reds -- hints at a more diverse winegrowing future for this Mediterranean province. Fresh nectarine and melon entice on the nose; the light, crisp palate is briny and spicy, with hints of lime peel and grapefruit pith from the sauvignon blanc that makes up 20 percent of the mix. Serve with cold seafood. You can also find it at Elephants Delicatessen; John's Market; Market of Choice Terwilliger or West Linn; or through Estelle Imports.

2010 Agricola San Felice "Perolla" Maremma Toscana Vermentino ($11.75): For the past five years or so, vermentino has been turning up on wine lists and generating excitement. Known by various names in Sardinia, Corsica, Liguria and Piedmont, it has found a new home in Tuscany, where Chianti producers are successfully mucking around with it. This splendid example has a bit of sauvignon blanc blended in for increased liveliness; it's chalky, with briny acidity and a long white-pepper finish, but the overwhelming aromatic sensation is that of tarragon being smashed by a mortar-and-pestle. I'd love to try it alongside an Italian salsa verde. You can also find it at Great Wine Buys, Market of Choice Terwilliger, Mt. Tabor Fine Wines and Zupan's Belmont or through Zancanella Importing.

2010 Roque Sestière "À l'Orée des Pins" Corbières ($12.75): A 2010 red? Already? Sure, if it's a simple country red from the Provençal wine region of Corbières. Blackberry-black currant jam, dark chocolate, blackened s'more, pimiento pepper and gravelly tannins all contribute to the high fun factor. Open this red to match grilled steaks, but keep it on the table when you serve that berry cobbler for dessert. You can also find this wine at Barbur World Foods, Cellar Door and Whole Foods Market Fremont or through Casa Bruno.

2010 Domaine de Schistes "Les Bruyères" Côtes du Roussillon Villages ($12): You may have heard the adage: The more the vine struggles to survive, the better the wine. As its name suggests, shards of schist (shale) blanket this vineyard; the old vine trunks grow out of craggy rock only to be buffeted and twisted by strong winds. The resulting wine is superb for the price. A blend of grenache, carignan and the Catalan grape lladoner pelut, this engaging red has dusted blueberries on the nose, a lively acidity, and a mineral-rich palate of silt and river rocks. Aged in concrete tanks rather than oak barrels, it has a light body despite its alcohol content of 14.5 percent. You also can find it at Elephants Delicatessen and Market of Choice West Linn or through P-S Wines/Oregon Brand Management. 2009 Pennywise California Petite Sirah ($10.50): Petite sirah is for cowboys: This mostly American wine grape typically makes (in my opinion) a dark, gritty, tooth-coating and one-dimensional drink. But somehow, in this $10 bottling, the California négociants Don Sebastiani & Sons have managed to capture nuance and character. Yes, the coal-dark fruit and brutal tannins are there, but so are intriguing notes of crushed rosemary and sage, finishing with black peppercorns. This is the wine for a chest-thumping barbecue cook-off, or a gathering of cowboy poets. You can also find it at Fred Meyer Hawthorne and Bales Cedar Mill Thriftway Marketplace or through Bacchus Fine Wines.